Railway-switch stand



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. A. STROM.

RAILWAY SWITCH STAND. No. 394,415. Q Patented Dec. 11, 1888.

(N6 Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2,.

A. A. STROM. 4

RAILWAY SWITCH STAND.

No. 394,415. Patented Dec. 11. 1888.

% fizz QM 04.9mm

I HIS crank engages the crossbar of a yoke secured UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE.

AXEL ALBIN STROM, OF (1(ERO, ILLINOIS.

RAI LWAY-SWITCH STAN D.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,415, dated. December 11, 1888.

Application filed October '7, 1885. Serial No. 179,276. (No model.)

T 0 aZ Z whmn it nuty concern.-

Be it known that I, AXEL ALBIN STROM, of

| provided with suitable slots, 1) I) b, to receive the town of Cicero, county of Cook, State of i the arm of the lever 0. The switch-stand A is hollow to allow the placing within it of the stem g of the crank II. The lower portion of the switch-stand A is sutiiciently large to secure a firm support and to admit of the play within it of the crank H. There is also a bearing, I), for the stem g of the crank H in the lower portion of the switch-stand A. The bottom plate, E, is shown in Fig. 4. It is slightly thicker at the sides 6 e than elsewhere, so as to provide ways upon which slides the yoke S. The switch-stand A fits over the bottom plate, E, and is provided with flanges at the bottom. The flanges have slots, through which are driven the spikes which fasten the switch-stand in its place.

G is the target upon the stem of the crank II. The connecting-rod B and tie-bar q are made in one piece, as shown in Fig. 1. The tie-bar q is provided with clamps a a, which are so eol'istructed as to clasp firmly not only the flange but also the neck of the rail, as shown in Fig. 5. The bridle-bars are construct ed with similar clamps.

The end of the connecting-rod I which passes into the lower portion of the switchstand A through an opening near the bottom of the stand made for that purpose, is provided with a yoke, S, which slides upon the elevated sides c e of the bottom plate, E. A washer, \V, plays in the yoke S, provided with flanges m m, which slide upon the yoke. The end of the crank H fits in the center of the washer \V, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

An ordinary switch-lever, O O, is keyed and riveted or otherwise fastened to the stem g of the crank II. The lever O 0 maybe provided with padlock and chain, as shown in the drawings. The interior sides of the bottom of the switch-stand A furnish a guide for the yoke S, so that it always moves in a straight line.

Z is a safety-block to prevent the movable arm of the lever from being thrown up by accident when the switch is unlocked.

u u are slight protuberances upon the top of the switch-stand to prevent the lever from Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switch Appliances, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide an appliance for moving railway-switches, all I the parts and joints of which are fully protected from rain, snow, rust, sand, and dirt, l and which offers the greatest security against injury by being tampered with by unauthori ized persons; and my invention is in the na- 1 ture of an improvement upon that set forth in the patent to David Bowen, No. 324,526, granted August 18, 1885. In that patent the inventor describes a mode of operating the switch-rails from a vertical switch-stand, or one in which the connecting-bar is moved in a straight line by a vertical revolving spindle, which consists in int-erposing between the vertical spindle and the connecting-bar a mechanical movement in the form of a locomotive slot-link, or one in which a revolving to the connecting-rod, whereby the revolution of the crank through the spindle moves the connecting-rod in a straight line. \Vhile the construction defined in Bowens patent is operati ve and the principle involved is one of great. merit, I have found that the details of construction are susceptible of improvement to confer increased durability, security, and consequent effectiveness to the device, and these improvements, which I will now proceed to describe, constitute my invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the switch-stand with therailconnection and the rails in section. Figs. 2 1 and 3 are vertical central sections of the stand, and Figs. I, 5, and 6 are views in detail. 1

The switch-stand A is made of cast-iron or other suitable material and contains the entire appliance for moving the switch-rails, except an ordinary switch-lever, O O, and the 1 connecting-rod B and tie-bar q. The top of the switch-stand A is the plate a, cast in being moved too far. one piece with the switchstand A. The plate I do not deem it necessary to fully describe a is shown in Fig. 6. It is provided with an the lever O or the crank H, as they are the opening which furnishes a bearing for the same as the forms now in constant use.

To adjust the appliance the connecting-rod stem g of the crank H. The plate a is also and tie-bar are first placed in the desired position, with the ends of the rails T T passing through the clamps w as, as shown in Fig. 1. The bottom plate, E, is then placed under the yoke S. The switch-stand A is then placed over the. plate E, with the end of the crank H in the opening of the washer WV. The switch-stand is then spiked in position and the appliance is ready for use. By raising the arm of the lever and moving it in the required direction the stem g of the crank H is turned, and with it the crank. The end of the crank turning moves the washer NV and the yoke S. The yoke S, being a partof the connecting-rod and tie-bar and moving in a straight line, draws or pushes the latter, and with it the rails, to the desired position.

It will be seen that the strain of moving the connecting-rod, which in the former construction is exerted solely upon a single crossbar or yoke pin, is by my construction divided between the two, which may be made of increased size without requiringany change in the size or character of the washer at the end of the crank. Moreover, the Variation in the position of the yoke from a perand lateral guides for the yoke, all as set forth.

2. A railway-switch appliance comprising a vertical stand and vertical spindle within the same terminating in its lower end in a crank,

a connecting-rod terminating in its inner end in a transversely-slotted yoke, lateral guides for the yoke, and a flanged washer moving in the transverse slot of .the yoke and secured to the lower end of the crank, as described.

AXEL ALBIN STROM.

Witnesses:

ROBERT F. PETTIBONE, CHAS. J OHNSON. 

